What about the smaller farmers and small business owners? | Letter

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, May 13, 2026

Looks like County planners need to go back to planning on this tax. I think most of us want the islands to have good roads. We also want most of the things that our taxes are supposed to be used for. My Orcas tax comes to 6.8%. The San Juan Islands are becoming the Martha’s Vineyard of the West Coast.

We have reached a point where average-income folk cannot afford to come here. Senior citizens who have been here for years have to move off island. If you are not “rich” you cannot buy a property. We have older homes (in good condition), removed, and 2 to 5+ million homes built. We need to do without some of the amenities we have become accustomed to.

Affordable housing for the workers sounds great, but how about the smaller farmers and small business owners? My hope is that the county planners who make these decisions are property owners.

John Erly

Orcas Island